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Cam Bunton

@CamBunton

Cam Bunton, Editor at 9to5Google – Cam has been passionate about tech since his dad bought the family’s first Commodore AMIGA back in the late 80’s. He’s been in the tech industry (writing and making videos) since 2010, and joined 9to5Google as the resident video producer and product reviewer in 2015. He sometimes writes news and reviews for 9to5Mac too.

You can follow Cam on Twitter, add him on Google+ and subscribe to our YouTube channel to be the first to watch his videos about all things Google.

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Purported 2015 LG Nexus cases leak, show protruding camera and possible fingerprint sensor on the back

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A couple of days back we saw a leak purporting to show the outline, or silhouette of this year’s rumored LG Nexus device. It had two circular holes on the back, along with a more square-shaped cutout. We assumed at least one of the circular ones was for a camera, but were unsure of the purpose for the second hole. If these recent case leaks are genuine, it seems less likely that the secondary round cutout is for a camera. Rather, a fingerprint sensor.


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Sony posts strong quarterly financial results, despite faltering mobile division

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Sony just posted its latest quarterly results for 2015. The company’s net profit rose to ¥82.4 billion (roughly $664 USD), way above what any analysts expected. Sadly for Xperia fans however, this was all despite its smartphone sales, not because of them.

Sony’s strongest performing category was the PS4 division which saw a 12.1% increase in sales to ¥288.6 billion ($2.3 billion USD) after selling three million PS4 units, and increasing software and peripheral sales. Its other strong performer was the camera sensor division. Sony sells its mobile camera sensors to a number of companies, including Apple, Motorola and Samsung among many, many others. From camera sensor sales alone, Sony pulled in ¥237.9 billion ($2 billion USD).

Sales across the company however are almost flat year-on-year, mostly thanks to the faltering smartphone sales. Sony’s mobile division saw sales drop 16.3%, but this isn’t entirely surprising. The once-popular manufacturer has openly stated that it will focus on a smaller group of handsets with healthy margins. Although this leads to less revenue in the short run, profit margins should increase in the long term, if the company balances the marketing strategies suitably.

Sales decreased 16.3% year-on-year (an 18% decrease on a constant currency basis) to 280.5 billion yen (2,299 million U.S. dollars). This decrease was due to a significant decrease in smartphone unit sales resulting from a strategic decision not to pursue scale in order to improve profitability

Sony also saw declines in its Sony Pictures’ sales and its home entertainment (TV and AV gear) division. They saw decreases of 11.9% and 13.8% respectively.

Angry Birds 2 released for Android, free to download on the Play Store

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Rovio has finally released the long-awaited official sequel to the original Angry Birds mobile game. Since the first title saw phenomenal success on the iOS App Store, the game has gone on to amazing heights. With several official movie tie-ins, including the popular Star Wars titles, Angry Birds is the ultimate success story of the mobile app world. And now, Angry Birds 2 is available to download.

The game retains the key features, in that you fling birds with a catapult in an attempt to destroy blocks and kill green pigs. However, it does have some new features. Some levels now have multiple stages to complete, and you have to choose which bird to launch next. You can challenge other players and there are even more magic spells too, to help you complete difficult levels. As always, there are plenty of pig bosses to wipe out.

It’s free to download and has the expected in-app purchases. Download the app from the Play Store.

You can watch the official gameplay trailer here, if the embedded player doesn’t work, head on over to the YouTube page:

Quick Look at Microsoft’s new Arrow Launcher beta for Android [Video]

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A couple of days ago, Microsoft pushed out a beta version of a new Android launcher out to testers. Arrow Launcher aims to give you all the most important people and apps as efficiently as possible. Apps are on one screen, notes and reminders on another, and contacts on a third.

It’s still in its early beta stages, but Arrow Launcher reminds me a little of Yahoo’s Aviate launcher. It’s not the most customizable launcher ever developed, but it does seem efficient and I can see, with time, it’ll be really productive. I’ve put together a quick video to give you an overview of all the features of Arrow Launcher.


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Xbox Music’s ‘Groove’ name-change hits Android in redesigned app

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Xbox Music changed its name to Groove at the beginning of this month, and today, the rebranding has made its way to the music app on Android’s Play Store. It’s free to download, and is available right now.

Along with the new look and name, the app has had a couple of new features added. More devices can now download tracks for offline listening thanks to newly added compatibility. Music stored in your OneDrive folders will automatically show as music in the new Groove app. What’s more, you won’t need a paid subscription to make use of the app, although you will need one to access the entire streaming catalogue ad-free.

As per the Play Store listing:
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Sri Lanka might become the first country in the world to have its Internet covered by Project Loon

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Google’s Project Loon has been in development for a couple of years now, and it’s finally signed up its first official partner: Sri Lanka. The deal between the government of Sri Lanka and Project Loon will see the nation become the world’s first to be fully covered by Loon’s floating towers.

Sri Lanka’s IT minister, in a statement to Lanka Business Online said: “As a result of this agreement, the entire Sri Lankan island – every village from Dondra to Point Pedro – will be covered with affordable high speed internet using Google Loon’s balloon technology.”

This news comes shortly after the hot-air balloon Internet tech was upgraded to act more like a mesh to provide faster, more consistent Internet coverage. They’ll launch 13 balloons over the next few months, and see the network size grow over time afterwards.

It’s a pretty exciting time for the small nation which typically has little rural coverage. Google’s balloons represent a saving in transmission costs, and will bring LTE network coverage to those who previously had nothing.

Qualcomm announces WiPower: Wireless charging compatible with metal smartphones

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Qualcomm announced today that it has become the first company to launch wireless charging that works on devices with metal casing. WiPower is not only material-agnostic, in that it can technically charge all kinds of devices, but it can do so at a distance and charge multiple devices simultaneously. If it works as Qualcomm says it does, this could be one of the most versatile and easy-to-use wireless charging solutions announced so far.
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Moto G expected to launch July 29th with Moto Maker in stores

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A new report claims that Motorola will be launching its next budget-friendly Moto in stores on July 29th, just one day after its launch event. But that’s not the most exciting part of the story. If the leaked retail memos are genuine, customers will be able to walk in to stores and order their personalized Moto Maker device from a physical, brick-and-mortar store…
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Past meets future: LG’s new ‘Gentle’ flip-phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop

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This morning, LG announced a brand new Android flip phone to join its ranks. The LG Gentle, or LG U Plus, will be sold for 200,000 Korean Won (roughly $171 USD) to early adopters, and be available in both navy or burgundy.

The ‘Gentle’ is aptly named, and is designed to be both soft to the touch and comfortable to hold in your palm. Flip the phone open and there’s a large traditional physical keypad with bespoke buttons for functions like launching camera and messages, for example. Although you can use the directional pad to control the phone, the 3.2-inch 480×320 LCD display is touch sensitive too.

Specs include a modest 1.1GHz quad-core processor, 1,700mAh battery, 3MP rear camera, 1GB RAM and 4GB storage with the option to expand via MicroSD card. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and is equipped with USB 2.0, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

It’s not the first, and almost certainly won’t be the last Android-powered clamshell launched in Korea. They are seemingly very popular with the older generation who want the latest tech in a familiar form factor.

Panasonic CM1 unboxing and first look: Camera or Phone? [Video]

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Panasonic showed off its Android-based digital compact camera at CES earlier this year, despite officially announcing it in the September previous. With it being such an interesting device in a form factor similar to the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom, I felt I should at least try and get hold of one to feature here, and give my thoughts on the phone-come-smartphone. Although I wanted to unbox it and give my first impressions, I was more interested in seeing how the camera performs. If it’s as good as it looks and sounds, this could be the perfect device for those more interested in photography than making phone calls and taking selfies…
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OnePlus 2 launch event VR viewing app now live on the Google Play Store

Screen Shot 2015-07-25 at 15.14.01Update: OnePlus has also launched its invite page, where you can add your email address to the reservation list. Head on over to OnePlus’ site and read more about this year’s invite system.

OnePlus has been teasing us for weeks, or even months, about 2016’s “flagship killer”. The OnePlus Two is going to be announced at an event on Monday, July 27 from 7PM Pacific Time, and will be the first smartphone announcement to use Google Cardboard VR to enhance the experience. OnePlus has been sending out its own Cardboard units to fans and members of the press, and now the viewing app has finally hit the Google Play Store.


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Touchscreen + Chrome OS: Do they work together? [Video]

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Acer did something a little unusual last month when it announced an all-in-one Chromebase desktop with a touchscreen. It’s the first of its kind, and the company hopes it can bring something unique to the market. I’ve been testing it for the past week and, although it’s clearly not an input replacement for the mouse and keyboard, it actually has its uses.

The entire 21.5-inch 1080p panel has a layer of touch sensors over the top of it. It’s ten-point multitouch, and can be used to do all manner of things. It’s mostly intuitive too. There’s little unusual or unfamiliar if you’ve been using touchscreen smartphones for any length of time.
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Want your Gmail messages to self-destruct? There’s a Chrome extension for that…

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Dmail is a Chrome extension which allows you to un-send, or revoke any emails you send through your Gmail account. The service was launched by the same brainiacs that brought us the Delicious social bookmarking tool.

Self-destructing email isn’t exactly a new thing. Google itself rolled out a feature that lets you un-send a message once you’ve sent it. The only issue with Google’s built-in service however, is that you only have 30 seconds to change your mind about sending an email to someone. Dmail lets you revoke emails whenever you like. I took it for a quick spin to see what it’s like, and I have to say, it’s an incredibly convenient way to make all your outgoing communication more secure. It also happens to be ridiculously easy to use.


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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ leaked in new photos

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Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ have been shown off in a bunch of new photographs. Early leaks and rumors pointed to both devices taking on design cues from the smaller Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. For the most part, that’s what we seem to have in the leaked pics.

What’s interesting to note (pun not-intended) is that — although it has a S6-esque metal frame — the Note 5 still retains the style and shape of the Galaxy note series. Corners are much squarer than the Galaxy S series phones. In fact, from the front, it looks virtually identical to the Galaxy Note 4. The only real difference is the placement of sensors and front facing camera on the top. The two sensors near the earpiece have swapped over to the left side, while the camera is much further from the corner that it is on the current model.

As for the S6 Edge+, that just looks like a big version of the S6 Edge. Corners are much more rounded than the Note, and it has the iconic curved display edges on both sides. Like the current S6 and S6 Edge, it also seems to have a reflective, pearlescent finish.

Both the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ are widely expected to launch at an event in August. If most recent rumors are to be believed, the event will take place in New York City on August 13th with a retail launch in the following weeks.

Moto G (2015) Moto Maker customization options revealed

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We read rumors a while back that Motorola would be adding this year’s upcoming Moto G to its popular Moto Maker customization service. Like the Moto X, you’ll be able to order the Moto G with your choice of front or back color, as well as various metallic accent hues.

Thanks to a recent leak that made its way to Reddit, we now have a better idea of all the options available. First, you’ll be able to choose either white or black on the front housing. There will be a total of ten rear housing colors to choose from, including cherry, cabernet, blue, raspberry, turquoise, black, gold yellow, white, lime and navy. Metallic accent options will also include ten colors. These will presumably be on the front speaker/earpiece, and metal camera housing on the back.

Unlike the Moto X, there doesn’t seem to be an option to add a luxury material like wood or leather. However, it does appear that we’ll get a choice between an 8GB or 16GB model. The latter will also have 2GB RAM. There’s also going to be five FlipShell cases, costing just under $20 and a number of wallpapers to have pre-loaded on the home screen. You can see the leak in all it’s glory below:

motog-motomaker-options

The entire Motorola lineup is expected to get something of a design refresh this year. Although the general shape and look of the phones will largely be the same, the camera and Moto ‘dimple’ housing on the back will be changed. While the design between the Moto G and Moto X is likely going to be similar, as it usually is, this will be the first time that both have been available on Moto Maker.

Although we can’t take any leaks or rumors as being concrete evidence, there’s perhaps enough here to start piecing together what Motorola might announce at its event on July 28.

Xiaomi partners with Uber to deliver smartphones “within minutes” to Singapore, Malaysia buyers

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While Amazon is experimenting with shipping products by drone and offering two-hour deliveries, Xiaomi is taking a novel approach to delivering its own wares in Singapore and Malaysia. In partnership with Uber, the company will now let customers order their brand new Mi Note smartphone, and have it delivered within a few minutes.

Xiaomi’s chief, Hugo Barra announced the partnership on his Facebook page just a short while ago.

“Ordering a Mi Note follows the exact same process as calling for an Uber — you simply open the Uber app, use the slider at the bottom to select “Xiaomi” (which shows Xiaomi-orange colored Uber cars on the map equipped to deliver the new smartphone), and hit request. Payment will be charged directly to the credit card tied to your Uber account and a Mi Note will be delivered to you within a few minutes.”

It’s hard to think of anything more convenient than being able to place an order for a smartphone with a few taps of your finger, and have it land on your doorstep in the same hour.

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has no degree, lives in AirBnB homes and “wants to change the world”

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There’s no getting away from OnePlus‘ effect on the market. From the very beginning it planned to be disruptive and offer consumers what they really wanted: A flagship phone at a low price. Despite controversies and frustrations over its marketing and invite-based purchases, OnePlus has gone on to sell over 1.3 million units of its first smartphone. That may not seem like much in a market where companies sell millions of phones. But this is just one phone, made by one small company that most consumers still haven’t heard of.


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Qualcomm to make $1.4 billion in cuts, restructure board after disappointing year

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Qualcomm, the company behind the all-conquering Snapdragon processors, said today that it will cut $1.4 billion in costs and restructure its board after being pressured by an activist investor to make changes. The move could see the chip-maker cut thousands of jobs as it seeks to streamline its operations. Qualcomm’s revenue is significantly lower than it was 12 months ago, and its chip business isn’t the powerhouse it used to be.


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Android Lollipop 5.1 for Sony Xperia Z3 and Z2 now rolling out

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Sony confirmed in a blog post that its Android 5.1 update for the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z2 device family is rolling out now. Devices including the Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact, Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z2, and Z2 Tablet are part of this current wave of software releases.

As always, if you have a carrier device you may have to wait a few weeks or months for your network operator to give its approval to the software. If you have the unlocked model, however, you could see the update any day now. Be sure to keep checking for updates in your settings menu if you haven’t already received a notification to download the OTA.

Included in the Android 5.1 Lollipop update are the following new features:

  • Increased customisation options – so you have even more control over the way volume, silent modes and your alerts function
  • Brand new LinkedIn integration – be more productive with intuitive contact synchronisation in your Calendar
  • Camera improvements – with faster, more accurate Superior Auto Mode focus for great images, regardless of conditions
  • Enhanced enterprise support – with our latest Xperia in Business features for work
  • SmartWear integration – selfie snapping made that bit easier, with SmartWatch 3 as a remote shutter button

Older Xperia products will be getting the update “over the coming weeks”, according to Sony. Devices like the Z1, Z1 Compact and Xperia Z Ultra will be first in line before the T2 Ultra, Xperia C3 and original Xperia Z are updated a little while later.

Report: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 to get August 13 unveiling in New York City

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For some time now it’s been predicted that Samsung will skip the noise of IFA in September and choose to launch the Galaxy Note 5 in August. We had heard previously that Sammy was planning an event for its flagship phablet on August 12th. Business Korea, however, stepped in this morning with its own information claiming the Note 5 is being launched just a little later than that.

According to the publication’s sources, Samsung will host an unveiling event in New York City on August 13, during which it will announce both the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.


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Dreamscope web app lets you create your own trippy Google-powered nightmares

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UPDATE – If you want a native app on your Mac to do the same job, using Google’s available Deep Dream code, you can download RealMac’s beta software.

Deep Dream has caused something of a stir online in recent weeks. Google’s neural imaging network has an uncanny ability of taking ordinary images and turning them in to something you’d normally only see if you were sleeping, or under the influence of banned substances. Now, creating your own trippy images is as easy as uploading an image to a web app.

Dreamscope lets you upload any photo or picture and run it through one of its many Deep Dream patterns. The end results is normally weird, scary, or both. There are 20 filters to choose from in total, some scarier than others. Depending on the size of your image, the time it takes to process your nightmare varies. I experienced anything from a few seconds to around half a minute. For extra-trippy effects, re-upload your Dreamscope’d image several times and see what happens.

Take a look at our gallery below and you’ll see some of the virtual hallucinations it conjured up for us.

If you want to create your own, head on over to DreamScopeApp.com and start uploading. There’s also a gallery to look through of images created by others. Some might be NSFW, so be careful where you view them and who you view them in front of. You have been warned.

OnePlus 2 revealed in TENAA images, shows physical “home” button and more

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The OnePlus 2 looks to have been outed by the Chinese certification body, TENAA. These images appear to show front, back and side profiles of the next-generation OnePlus smartphone, which looks like it’ll include a physical home button similar to the Samsung Galaxy S6 – presumably where the built-in fingerprint sensor will be housed … 
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